Corn-harvester.



Patented Nov. 20, |900. A.\N. RUSSELL.

CORN HARVESTER.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1900 3 Sheets Sheet I.

" (No Model.)

- Jr MMM No. 662,309. Patented Nov. 2n, |900. A. N. RUSSELL CORNHARVESTER.

(Application led Maaj. 16, 1900.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mqdel.)

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Patented Nov. 20, |900.

No. 662,309. l

A. N. RUSSELL;

CORN HARVESTER. Application med Mar. 1e, 1900.)

l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

I Il

llnrrnn Starts PATENT rricn.

ALBERT -NELSON RUSSELL, OF CHERRYVALE, KANSAS.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 662,309, dated November20, 1900. Application filed March 16, 1900. Serial No. 8,918. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

'Be it known that I, ALBERT NELSON RussELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cherryvale, in the county of Montgomery and State ofKansas, have invented a new and useful Corn-Harvester, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention. relates to corn-harvesters in general, and moreparticularly to that class in which the standing corn is cut by theengagement of knives carried by a suitable vehicle, and which corn ismanually collected in suitable shock-holders until a sufficient quantityhas been cut, after which the vehicle is stopped and the shock ismanually tied.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction in which theVehicle portion may have the harvesting and shocking mechanisms removedtherefrom and may be supplied with a shorter axle to adapt it to theordinary uses of the farm, and in which, moreover, the cutting mechanismmay be adj ustably secured and may be efficient in its operation.

In the drawings forming a portion of this speciication,and in whichsimilar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus incondition for harvesting corn. Fig.2 is a side elevation with the runnerpartly in section and showing connections of the parts. Fig. 3 is a planView of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken vertically through the rearaxle and looking rearwardly of the machine, the extremities of the axleand the rear wheels being in elevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective View ofthe interchangeable short axle. Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing amodification of the invention, including a different forin of shocker.Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6 with the shocker in its recliningposition. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a tongue adapted for attachmentto the runner of the apparatus. Fig. 9 is a plan View showing shaftswhich may be attached to the runner.

Referring now to the drawings, the harvester comprises a body portion 5,which is in the form of the usual farm-wagon body and to the under sideof which and extending centrally and longitudinally thereof andprojecting from the forward end is a central reach 6, outer reaches 7and 8 being arranged at opposite sides of the reach 6 and convergingforwardly and terminating beyond the front of the body on a line withthe forward end of the central reach. These reaches are secured to theforward end of the body through the medium of bolts 9, passed throughthe bottom l() of the body and through the transverse sill 1l upon theunder side of the floor and intermediate it and the reaches. The bolts 9are removably held in place by means of nuts in the usual manner.

Intermediate the rear ends of the reaches and the floor of the body 5 isdisposed a rear axle 12, which is held in position by means of bolts 13passed through the floor of the body 5 and through the axle and the rearends of the corresponding reaches, the bolts being held in position bynuts, whereby the reaches may be readily removed from the body, and therear axle may be removed for the substitution of an axle of dierentlength for use under different conditions.

The forward ends of the reaches (5, 7, and 8 are bolted to a commonbolster 15, the bolt connection of the reach 6, which is shown at 16,forming the king-bolt for a runner 17, through which the bolt is passedupwardly, the head of the bolt lying between the lower faceY of therunner and the shoe 18 thereof. This shoe 18 is continued upwardlyaround and beyond the curved front end of the runner and has aperforation 19 in its upwardlyprojected portion, through which is passeda draft-rod 2O,V the rear end of which is provided with an eye 2l,disposed upon the kingbolt and lying between the reach 6 and thebolt-securing nut 22. The outer end of the rod 2O is also provided withan eye 23, adapted for the attachment of a suitable draft appliance, andthus may the runner be turned upon the king-bolt to guide the vehicle asit is moved from place toplace.

Adjustably connected with opposite sides of the body 5 and upon theouter faces thereof are parallel uprights 25 and 26, which areadjustably and removably held by means of U shaped brackets 27, theoutwardly-directed ends of which are bolted to the body. In the webs ofthe brackets are formed threaded IOO perforations, with which areengaged clamping-screws adapted to impinge the uprights to hold them atdifferent elevations.

Hinged to the lower ends of the uprights 25 and 26 at each side of thebody is a triangular plate 29, of which the apex projects in thedirection of movement of the vehicle, and one side lies parallel withthe side of the ve hicle. Thusthe outer sides or edges oi' the platesare disposed to mutually converge, and as the vehicle is moved the outeredges of the plates have a sliding movement laterally of the standingcorn as the latter is forced outwardly by the wedge action of theplates. In the drawings the plates are shown as having their outermostacute angles removed on lines parallel with the inner edges of theplates, so that while the cutting converging edges of the plates lie atangles to the inner edges said plates are not strictly triangular.Moreover, while the forward and outer cutting edges 30 are shown asformed integral they are not necessarily so. To limit the downwardswinging movement of the plates 29, iiexible connections in the form ofchains 3l are connected with the outer por* tions of the'A upper facesof the plates and with adjacent uprights, thus at the same timepermitting upward folding of the plates. A seat 33 at each side of thebody has a recess 34 in its inner edge, through which the adjacentupright 26 is passed, said seat being removably supported in any desiredmanner, such as by means of pins or lingers 35 or brackets engagingclips 36, fastened to the body.

The interior of the body is equipped with mechanism in accordance withthe construction shown in Patent No. 513,734, granted to me and datedJanuary 30, 1894, and consists of uprights and 4l, disposed centrally atopposite ends of the body and having a connectingbeam 42, the rear endof which projects rearwardly of the body and has a sharpened end 43. U-shaped hangers 44 have their webs 45 engaging perforations in the beam42, the legs of said hangers being extended downwardly and having theirends bent outwardly and upwardly, as shown. A shock-rest, consisting ofa bar 46, is normally carried by the upright 4l, and when in operativeposition is passed through a transverse perforation 47, adjacent therear end of the beam 42. A twine-holder 48 is fixed to the under side ofthe beam, and the twine is passed through guides 49, carried by the beamand of which one is in the rear of the struction.

cutting edges of the knives with the standing corn, which will act tocut the cornstalks off at a height from the ground depending upon theadjustment of the plates 29. If a long stubble is desired, theset-screws are loosened and the uprights 25 and 26 are raised throughthe guide-plates 27 until the knives or plates are at the properelevation, after which the set-screws are operated to clamp the uprightsand hold the plates in fixed position. If a short stubble is to be left,the uprights are moved downwardly through the guide-plates to the properextent and are then clamped by means of the setscrews. The operatorsstand on the plates at opposite sides of the body portion of theapparatus and collect the cut stalks and place them in the hangers ateach side of the beam, and when a sufficient quantity of corn has beencollected the apparatus is stopped. The rest-bar46 is then passedhorizontally through the perforation 47, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 3, and the corn is lifted from the hangers and is stood on end andis rested in the angles of the beam and rest-bar and on both sides ofthe beam and rest-bar. The twine is then passed around the corn andafterbeing drawn tightly is tied and cut. The bar 46 is then withdrawnand the harvester is moved on, when the beam will be drawn fromtheshock, as will be readily understood.

In place of the beam and the hangers there maybe employed a differentform of device for receiving the cornstalks,as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 ofthe drawings. In this event the fixed tail-board of the wagon is removedand in place thereof there is employed a tail-board 60, one end of whichis secured to the laterally-turned end of a shaft 6l, mounted inbearings upon the outer face of one side of the wagon-body, this shafthaving an operating-handle 62, through the medium of which the shaft maybe oscillated to pivotally move the tail-board into and out of itsoperative position. When the tail-board is in its operative position, itrests with its free edge behind a guide 63 in the rear end of the sideof the wagon opposite to the shaft 6l. The tail-board is separated atits lower edge from the bottom of the wagon-body by an interspace, andacross this interspace is disposed a bar 64, having its ends engagedwith the ends of the sides of the wagon-body.

The receiver for the-cornstalks comprises two beams 65 and 66, havinghandles 67 and 68 formed at one end, while longitudinal recesses 69 and70 are formed in the under faces of the beams at their opposite ends.The bar 64 vis disposed in these recesses 69 and 70, and over therecesses are secured plates 7l and 72, which act to hold the bar fromdisplacement from the recesses. At the outer end of each of the recessesor guideways thus formed are seats 7 3 and 74. With this construction itwill be seen that when the beams 65 and 66 are drawn forwardly to restwith their handle IOO IIO

IIS

l ends upon the front board of the wagon-body,

as shown in Fig. 7, the seats 73 and 74 will receive the bar 64, and thebeams will thus be held against longitudinal displacement. Cross-pieces75 and 7 6 are attached to the under sides of the beams and adjacent theends thereof, respectively, to hold them spaced, and braces 77 areconnected with the beams diagonally. Upon the cross-pieces 75 and 76 aresecured bows 7 8 and 79, which are substantially semi-elliptical andwhich lie parallel, with their outer ends disposed outwardly and atright-angles to the cross-pieces. In the employment of this form of theinvention the stalk-receiver is moved to lie in the position shown inFig. 7 to engage the bar 64 with the seats 7 3 and 74, and thetail-board 6() is moved to close the rear end of the wagon-body, atwhich time it rests with its lower edge upon the beams and at rightangles thereto. The harvester is then operated in the same manner asabove described to cut the corn, the stalks being thrown upon thereceiver to lie in the bows thereof and with their butt-ends against thetail-board. A twine is then drawn from the twine-box on the front of thebody and through the eye thereabove, and is then drawn to lietransversely of the receiver. the receiver is full, the twine is tiedaround the shock, the tail-board is raised, and the handle ends of thebeams are lifted. As the handles of the beams are lifted the receivermoves upon the bar 64 as a pivot until it has assumed a substantiallyvertical position, when further movement engages the lower ends of thebeams with the rear end of the bottom of the wagon-body, and as themovement of the receiver is continued the beams are forced outwardly andthe bar 64 moves from the seats 73 and 74. The carrier then drops to theposition shown in Fig. 6 and the butts of the stalks are forced into theground. The

receiver may then be returned to its former position, and the harvestermay be operated until the receiver is again full.

When it is desired to omit the harvesting and shocking portions of theapparatus, they may be readily removed, and if it then be desired toemploy the vehicle about the farm the long axle is detached and theshorter aXle (shown in Fig. 5) is substituted therefor to bring thewheels closer to the body. The longer aXle, as will be readilyunderstood, is designed to hold the wheels in positions to escape thestubble during the harvesting operation.

It will of course be understood that in pracl[ice various othermodifications may be made and that any suitable materials andproportions may be used for the various parts without departing from thespirit of the invention.

When the corn-harvesting apparatus is removed for permitting the use ofthe device as a wagon, either a tongue or shafts may be connected withthe runner. A tongue is shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, and inadjusting this tongue to the runner the plates 55 are brought to lie atopposite sides of the runner and are held in place by means of a pinpassed through perforations in the plates and through an aliningperforation, shown as formed in the runner. In Fig. 9 is shown a pair ofshafts which are connected at their rear ends by cross-pieces 5b' and57, to which are attached parallel beams 5S, which are separated by aninterspace to receive the runner. A pin is passed through these beamsand through the perforation of the runner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Thecombination with a vehicle, of arunner pivotally connected therewiththrough the medium of a king-bolt, a shoe for the runner and projectingthereabove, and a draftrod connected with the king-bolt and theprojectin g portion of the shoe.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a runner pivotally connectedtherewith through the medium of a king-bolt, a shoe fixed to the runnerand projecting thereabove, said projecting portion having a perforationtherein, and a draft-rod passed through said perforation and connectedwith the king-bolt.

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a ru nner, a king-bolt passedupwardly through the runner and connected with the vehicle, the head ofsaid bolt lying in arecess in the runner, a shoe upon the runner andprojecting thereabove, a perforation in the projecting portion of theshoe, and a draft-rod passed through said perforation and connected withthe king-bolt.

4. A vehicle comprising a body portion, a plurality of reaches removablyconnected with the body, and projecting therebeyond, a bolster connectedwith the projecting portions of the reaches, a runner connected with thebolster through the medium of a king-bolt, a shoe for the runner andprojecting thereabove, a draft-rod connected with the king-bolt, andengaged with the projecting portion of the shoe.

5. Avehiclecomprisingabodyhavingaplurality of reaches removablyconnected therewith, rear axles adapted for interchangeable connectionintermediate the body and the reaches, a common bolster for the reachesin advance of the body, a runner, a king-bolt pivotally connecting therunner and bolster a shoe for the runner projecting above the forwardend of the runner, a draft-rodlpassed through the projecting end of therunner and cutting-blades removably connected with the vehicle.

6. In a shocker for corn-harvesters,the combination with a body portionhaving a transverse rod, of a frame having guideways receiving the rod,seats in the guideways to engage the rod and hold the frame fromslidable movement, and means for holding the corn upon the frame.

IOO

IIO

IZO

7. In adevice of the class described, the

combination with a body portion having a In testimony that I Claim theforegoing as transverse rod, of beams having longitudinal my own I havehereto affixed my signature in Io slots receiving the rods, and seatsfor engagethe presence of two Witnesses.

ment with the rod` to hold the frame from slidable movement,said framebeing pivotally ALBERT NELSON RUSSELL' movable upon .the rod to engagethe body, and Witnesses:

move the seats from engagement with the rod CORA MANDEVILLE,

to permit sliding of the frame. ROSA BEDFORD.

